1. Field of the Invention
This invention in general relates to photographic apparatus and, more specifically, to photographic apparatus which capture images electronically and subsequently print onto photosensitive media.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional photographic cameras record an image by exposing to image-bearing light photosensitive media, such as silver-halide based film or paper. The exposed photosensitive medium may then be sent to a commercial processing facility for chemical developing and printing onto photographic paper, so as to allow a user to view the recorded image as a photographic print. This process results in an extended delay of several hours or days between the exposure of the photosensitive medium and viewing the resultant photographic print.
Moreover, the quality of the resultant prints cannot be determined in advance of submittal to the processing facility. As a result, there is an unwanted expense incurred in having poor and undesirable images printed along with the acceptable images. Perhaps the most serious drawback of the conventional photographic process is that, because the user has no way of determining in advance which recorded images will be poor or undesirable, there may be no incentive to "retake" a particular subject, and more importantly, there may be no opportunity for a retake after the resultant prints have been reviewed.
"Instant" photographic apparatus, such as those manufactured by the Polaroid Corporation, are capable of producing photographs shortly after the photosensitive medium has been exposed. In such apparatus, the delay between image acquisition and viewing the print is reasonably short and allows the user to determine whether a photograph needs to be retaken. However, these apparatus do not overcome the shortcoming of the expense incurred in producing unacceptable prints. Further, since there are no post-exposure image processing capabilities in most conventional photographic apparatus, the user is unable to modify print characteristics such as color, contrast, or brightness.
Electronic cameras, which acquire image-bearing light by means of a semiconductor image sensor, overcome the problem of extended delay between image acquisition and viewing. During operation of a conventional electronic camera, the acquired image is transformed into electronic signals which are then stored, usually in a memory module such as a hard disk or a memory card. If the electronic camera provides a suitable display, the image may be viewed immediately after acquisition and without the need for printing. If the user is not satisfied with the image as displayed, it may simply be deleted and retaken.
However, conventional electronic cameras lack the capability to provide images on photosensitive media. If the user wishes to produce a photographic print, it may be necessary to download the stored electronic image to a computer, or similar processing unit, and to subsequently transmit to a printing device. The printing device may print the image onto a photosensitive or other medium. Although the use of a conventional electronic camera allows for immediate preview of an acquired image, there remains an unavoidable delay between image acquisition and a printed image.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a photographic apparatus which incorporates the previewing advantages of an electronic camera with the ability to produce a selected print on a photosensitive medium.
It is another object of the invention to allow a user to print an electronically-stored image onto photosensitive media without the need for first downloading the image to a computer or other processing unit.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a photographic apparatus which enables a user to adjust print characteristics prior to printing the image on a photosensitive medium. Other objects of the invention will be obvious, in part, and, in part, will become apparent when reading the detailed description to follow.